As capacity at its 3 existing plants begins to run out, Samsung Biologics will add a fourth plant to its Incheon, Republic of Korea, site.
As Samsung Biologics’ bioreactor facilities are expected to reach full utilization by 2022, the company said it will construct a fourth plant and a bio campus, according to industry reports.
Samsung Biologics and Biogen are major shareholders in the biosimilar manufacturer Samsung Bioepis, which is anticipating the European Commission approval of its bevacizumab biosimilar candidate (Aybintio). The developmental agent was recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in June.
Samsung Biologics has seen activities expand at its site in Incheon, Republic of Korea, since it began constructing its first of 3 manufacturing plants there in 2011. The production center has a bioreactor capacity of 364,000 liters, according to The Korea Times, reporting on a recent shareholder meeting.
Recent large-scale contract announcements indicate that excess plant capacity will be used up in 2 years, and Kim Tae-han, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said the need for more production capacity led to the decision to design a fourth plant, according to BioProcess International.
Samsung Biologics’ Deals
Samsung Biologics is a contract and development management organization, meaning that it serves other pharmaceutical companies on a contract basis to provide comprehensive drug development and manufacturing services.
In March, The Korea Times reported that Samsung Biologics will open a research and development lab in the San Francisco, California, area later in 2020, which in terms of physical expansion, marks the company’s first steps outside the Republic of Korea.
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Samsung Biologics has closed over $1.5 billion worth of orders in the past 3 months.
The Japanese media outlet stated that Samsung Biologics made a deal in April with Vir Biotechnology worth $362 million for Samsung Biologics to help the US-based company initiate production of a coronavirus disease 2019 antibody treatment. Samsung Biologics notched a deal in May valued at $231 million to manufacture biologics, including lupus drug Benlysta (belimumab), for GlaxoSmithKline.
Biosimilars Oncology Roundup for June 2024—Podcast Edition
July 7th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we review biosimilar news coming out of June, with clinical trial results from conferences and a study showcasing how to overcome economic and noneconomic barriers to oncology biosimilars.
Samsung Bioepis Report Showcases Adalimumab Biosimilar Growth in Market Share
October 11th 2024Adalimumab biosimilars have seen a significant increase in market share, from 2% in early 2024 to 22%, as payers and pharmacy benefit managers begin to prioritize these biosimilars over the reference product, Humira.
A New Chapter: How 2023 Will Shape the US Biosimilar Space for 2024 and Beyond
December 31st 2023On this episode of Not So Different, Cencora's Brian Biehn and Corey Ford take a look back at major policy and regulatory advancements in 2023 and how these changes will alter the space going forward.